Engineering education for mechatronics

This paper defines mechatronics, explains mechatronics philosophy, and describes characteristics of mechatronics products and systems. It reviews aspects of education and training for mechatronics and compares the two different approaches to engineering education: generalist engineering versus specialist engineering. It also examines the Japanese approach to product development strategies and mechatronics education and training. It also gives an overview of mechatronics education in higher education institutions across the world with a specific reference to a typical mechatronics engineering degree program. Finally it concludes that there will be an increasing need in the future for discipline-based mechatronics engineers     

Nth-order allpass voltage transfer function synthesis using CCII+s:signal-flow graph approach

A general synthesis method is given for the realisation of an nth-order allpass voltage transfer function by the active RC circuit containing a minimum number of capacitors and at most n+1 current conveyors. All the current conveyors are positive, and n of them act as voltage followers. This makes the proposed circuit simple and attractive     

Kinetics of crude oil combustion

In this research, thermal characterization and kinetics of Karakus crude oil in the presence of limestone matrix is investigated. Thermogravimetry (TG/DTG) is used to characterize the crude oil in the temperature range of 20-900°C, at 10°C min ^-1 heating rate using air flow rate of 20 mL min ^-1. In combustion with air, three distinct reaction regions were identified known as low temperature oxidation (LTO), fuel deposition (FD) and high temperature oxidation (HTO). Five different kinetic methods used to analyze the TG/DTG data to identify reaction parameters as activation energy and Arrhenius constant. On the other hand different f(α) models from literature were also applied to make comparison. It was observed that high temperature oxidation temperature (HTO) activation energy of Karakus crude oil is varied between 54.1 and 86.1 kJ mol ^-1, while low temperature oxidation temperature (LTO) is varied between 6.9 and 8.9 kJ mol ^-1.     

Enzymatically validated liquid chromatographic method for the determination of ascorbic and dehydroascorbic acids in fruit and vegetables

A liquid chromatographic method has been described for the determination of total vitamin C, ascorbic acid (AA) and dehydroascorbic acid (DHAA) in fruits and vegetables. The complete separation of AA and DHAA could be achieved on a C18 column using 0.2 M KH2PO4 (pH adjusted to 2.4 with H3PO4) as the mobile phase at a flow-rate of 0.5 ml/min. Since the detection sensitivity was poor for DHAA even at 210 nm, it was estimated as the difference between the total AA after DHAA reduction and AA content of the original sample, using dithiothreitol (DTT) as the precolumn reductant. The reaction times for the complete conversion of DHAA to AA at room temperatures were 150, 120, 90 and 75 min for 1, 2, 4 and 8 mmol DTT per mmol of DHAA, respectively. The percentage recovery ranged from 81.7 to 105.9. AA contents of some selected fruits and vegetables were analyzed comparatively by liquid chromatography and enzymatic assay to validate the method.     

Formulation of the state equations by signal-flow graphs

The method of drawing the signal-flow graph of an active RLC network is discussed and a method to obtain the state equations directly from the signal-flow graph of the network is given.     

Direct formulation of the state equations: signal-flow-graph approach in time domain

In the t domain, the drawing of the signal-flow graph by inspection which is very useful in the direct formulation of the state equations of an active RLC network is discussed, and a method to obtain the state equations, based on the drawing of the signal-flow graph and on Mason's gain formula, is given.     

Synthesis and Spectroscopic Characterization of Novel Aryl-Dithiofluorophosphonate Derivatives and X-Ray Studies of [(4-CH3OC6H4)(F)P(S)S−][PH4P+]

Abstract

Potassium and tetraphenylphosphonium salts of novel aryldithiofluorophosphonic acids were synthesized. Lawesson's Reagent was allowed to react with KF in acetonitrile to yield the potassium salt of p-methoxyphenyldithiofluorophosphonic acid. Treatment of the latter with tetraphenylphosphonium chloride resulted in the formation of the tetraphenylphosphonium salt. The structures of the compounds were elucidated by FTIR, ¹H, ¹³C, ¹⁹F, and ³¹P NMR spectroscopy as well as by ESI-mass spectrometry. The molecular and crystal structure of the tetraphenylphosphonium salt, determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction, is also presented.

Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Silicon and the Related Elements to view the free supplemental file.     

The synthesis and solution behaviors of novel amphiphilic block copolymers based on d-galactopyranose and 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate

A series of novel stimuli-responsive AB, ABA, and BAB type block copolymers based on 6-O-methacryloyl-1,2:3,4-di-O-isopropylidene-d-galactopyranose (MAIpGP:A block) and 2-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA: B block) were synthesized via ATRP techniques using ethyl 2-bromoisobutyrate (EBiB) as monofunctional ATRP initiator in the case of diblock copolymer and diethyl meso-2,5-dibromoadipate (DEDBA) as bifunctional ATRP initiator in the case of triblock copolymers. The PMAIpGP blocks of the AB, ABA, and BAB type linear block copolymers were converted to water soluble PMAGP blocks via deprotection process under mild acidic conditions. Both proton NMR and DLS studies demonstrated that block copolymers were temperature-sensitive, whereby the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of polymers varied with the polymerization degrees of comonomers in the block copolymers. LCST was determined to be between ∼35 °C and 55 °C depending on the type and the comonomer compositions of the block copolymers. It was observed that an increase on the percentage of hydrophilic PMAGP block in block copolymer caused an increase on the LCST value as expected.     

Quantitative Mobility Spectrum Analysis for Determination of Electron and Magneto Transport Properties of Te-Doped GaSb

Resistivity, magnetoresistivity and Hall effect measurements in n-type Te-doped GaSb grown by the liquid encapsuled Czochralski technique are carried out as functions of temperature （35-350 K） and magnetic field （0-1.35 T）. The power law model is used to explain the temperature-dependent resistivity. The magnetic-field-dependent data are analysed using the quantitative mobility spectrum analysis technique. The effect of individual band parameters （nL, nr, μL, μr, p and μp） on both the electron and magneto transports have been discussed. The EL - Er energy separation between the L and conduction band edges is also derived.     

RLC-ladder-network synthesis: signal-flow-graph approach

Using signal-flow graphs, a theorem is proved which gives the immittance functions of the ladder network of which the voltage transfer function is to be realised, and then the realisation of a given voltage transfer function by the use of this theorem is illustrated.